Dahua camera as a standalone?

[Contadino]

I'm still confused. What would be the difference in these three scenarios?

1. Camera only. I would access it through a web browser I think. Could I set up an IFTTT script to notify me when an action was detected? I assume there is no way to record.
2. Camera plus NVR. If I stay with all Dahua components what would I be missing?
3. Dell Optiplex plus BlueIris plus POE+ switch. What could I do with this set up that I couldn't do with the NVR system? Is the idea that it would cost less than an NVR system and I could use other cameras besides Dahua?
Thanks!

 

[wittaj]

Scenario 1 you could use DMSS to notify you as well. You could have it record to SD card only or set it up to record on a computer as well. Works ok for only one camera. You get 3 or 4 and you will see the limitation of this method.

Scenario 2 you wouldn't be missing anything as nobody really produces a camera that a Dahua camera cannot do as well.

Secnario 3 gives your the most flexibility in everything from camera brands, to granular level alerts and setups, and for most of us it is cheaper than an NVR. Way more robust than an NVR.

 

[Contadino]

I have read that the mobile app for blue iris is not all that great. Would a Dahua NVR have a better mobile app?

 

[wittaj]

Most here use the UI3 that is part of BI and not the paid BI app. The BI app is only needed if you have two-way cameras or you want push notifications. Most here use the Pushover app for push notifications.

The mobile app for Dahua is the same whether it is one camera or an NVR. I found it to be clunky and worse than the BI app. So get a camera and download DMSS and see if you like it.

 

[TonyR]

I have read that the mobile app for blue iris is not all that great. Would a Dahua NVR have a better mobile app?

I find the Blue Iris iOS app great, not sure about the Android.
And FWIW, @wittaj 's right about Blue Iris....max flexibility, a bunch of options, very configurable and flexible. Hard to beat for under $60.

 

[eeeeesh]

You could also use camera only plus android app (like TinyCam Monitor). I use it a lot with my nvidia Shield TV. (I like the layout it provides)

It has it's own motion detection and notification - I don't use that so I don't know much about it, but it's another option you could look into

Here is an image (blurred for privacy) that shows 7 cams being displayed on a 65" TV with TinyCam running on a NVIDIA Shield TV